The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to integrated CPU heat sink retention and hard drive mounting apparatus.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
There exists a number of industry standard form factors regarding the layout of components within an information handling systems chassis. One example is the Balanced Technology Extended (BTX) form factor. However, current systems complying with these form factors suffer many disadvantages, particularly with regard to the location and installation of hard drives and other mass storage devices, power supply modules, and thermal management modules, among others.
For example, current approaches to installation of mass storage devices within BTX and other form factors usually necessitate the use of machine- or hand-operated tools, making installation and removal of the mass storage devices inconvenient, and often complex. Current approaches also provide insufficient airflow proximate mass storage devices, resulting in poor thermal management. Mass storage devices are also susceptible to mechanical shock when conventionally located and installed, such as may be received during shipping and other handling of the information handling system during and after assembly. Moreover, current approaches require installation with threaded fasteners and other attachment means, where the fasteners extend through openings in the motherboard and/or other printed wiring assembly (PWA) of the information handling system. Consequently, these PWAs must be designed to accommodate such openings, making their design more complex, and consuming precious surface area thereon.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide apparatus and methods for securing a mass storage device, power supply module, thermal management module, and other components in an information handling system absent the disadvantages found in the prior methods discussed above.